“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“One of the brethren once asked me, ‘Tell us about one of the visions you have seen so that we can profit from it.’ In response I said, ‘Anyone who is a sinner like me does not have visions to recount. But if you want to see a glorious vision that can truly benefit you, I can tell you where to find it. It is that of a man humble of heart and pure. This is a scene more splendid than any because through it you can see God who cannot be seen! Do not ask about a vision greater than this’” (A Saying of St. Pachomius the Great).
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago–whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows–such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man… how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me” (2 Cor 12:2-6).
Today, brethren, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Glorious and All-Praised Leaders of the Apostles, Peter and Paul. What a mouthful, right? I wonder what the Apostles would think of such a title. I can hear St. Paul now, “Huh, yeah right, buddy; give me a break… .” I do not say this to demean the Apostle, to diminish his holiness. Of course, we cannot diminish the holiness of the saints. We can think they are goofy, and strange, and confusing, and eccentric, but it really doesn’t matter what we think. They are the holy ones of God. They are made holy by the grace of the Holy Spirit. They are of God’s chosen people, and the Church commemorates and reveres them as such. On one hand, St. Peter was the leader of the Twelve. He features prominently in many of the Gospel accounts. He was the first bishop of Antioch and Rome, two of the five ancient, episcopal sees of the Pentarchy. On the other hand, St. Paul was the “apostle to the Gentiles.” He gave us nearly half of the New Testament canon. Both saints were martyred: St. Peter, crucified; St. Paul, beheaded.
We could go on and on listing accolades. But do you know, brethren, what is their greatest honor, what most distinguishes them as men worthy of our praise and emulation? Their humility. We say of the Apostles—and rightly so: “They are the pillars of the Church!” But of themselves, the Apostles boast,
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…” (Phil 3:8-9a).
“But if you want to see a glorious vision that can truly benefit you, I can tell you where to find it. It is that of a man humble of heart and pure,” says St. Pachomius. To be great, indeed, is to minimize one’s greatness, to have an accurate measure of one’s own worth when weighed against the glory of Christ. “Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Cor 12:9), says St. Paul in today’s Epistle Reading.
Isn’t it difficult, brethren, to humble ourselves? Why is it so difficult? Pride is at the source of every passion. Attention, exaltation, esteem, an elevated sense of self-worth and importance: is there any man—alive or dead—who does not or did not struggle with this temptation? We see the symptoms of this disease, vanity and pride, littered all around our cultural landscape. We place our academic credentials after our email signatures because, well, “we want people to know.” We polish our résumés in preparation for job interviews until they shine like the backside of a well-waxed ‘57 Chevy Bel-Air: (1) all academic institutions attended. Check; (2) all positions of professional employment with duties and responsibilities. Check; (3) social club memberships and years of active participation. Check. (4) professional interests and personal hobbies. Check. “Oh my, I almost forgot… I served in the Boy Scout Troop 67 fried fish sandwich stand that one summer. Should probably add that… .” The list could go on ad nauseum. Pride is at the source of every passion. We want people to know: we matter. We want people to know: we’re special. We want people to know and to acknowledge: we’re important.
If pride is at the source of every passion, what then is the corrective? St. John Chrysostom knows: “Humility is the root, mother, nurse, foundation, and bond of all virtue” (emphasis mine). Humility is the antidote of pride. It is a balancing act, between our pride and our humility; and we must with great effort and perseverance strive to tip the scale in favor of the latter. The saints show us the way! The same Apostle who says,
“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless” (Phil 3:4-6),
[This same Apostle] also says, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:8), and elsewhere, “We have become as it were, the scum of the world, the refuse of all things, even until now” (1 Cor 4:13). To hear the Apostle speak this way—on his feast day—we would object, “Don’t say such things, St. Paul!” But Ss Peter and Paul know themselves. They know themselves in the flesh well. We honor the Apostles, despite their shortcomings! But the Apostles, even as emissaries of Christ for the gospel: they know themselves. St. Paul the Apostle is also St. Paul the accomplice to murder. St. Peter the 1st Pope of Rome is also St. Peter the doubter, the denier, the deserter.
It is a lot common to all men, brethren: this struggle with humility. It is especially a struggle for me. It is a struggle for persons in positions of leadership. I do not want to speak for Fr. David, but I will speak for myself. It is hard not to pat yourself on the back after you have done something praiseworthy. It is difficult for me anytime I write a sermon, anytime I teach catechesis, or paint an icon, or sing a song, [it is difficult for me] not to begin the internal dialogue, “I wonder if they liked it? I hope they liked it. Yeah, it was pretty good. I bet they did like it. I’m pretty great.” Some of us own businesses. Some of us are writers, painters, poets. Some of us like to bake and bake very well (I’m looking at you, babe). Some of us are very young and can already do incredible things. Noa can sing! Aletheia can play piano! Luce can crochet! Bridget can dance! Heidi is an athlete! Juls can swim like a fish! Some others of us do all manner of handicraft. Some of us play instruments. Some of us are very financially savvy. Some of us are very meticulous and organized and diligent and responsive. All these things, brethren, are praiseworthy. But when we praise ourselves, when we elevate ourselves over and above others: then we are liable of pride.
“Do you see a person wise in his own eyes [and we could substitute ‘strong,’ ‘fast,’ ‘talented’]? There is more hope for a fool than for them” (Prov 26:12). “Do you see a person wise in his own eyes?” We are called by God, brethren, to be wise. We are called by God to be strong, and brave, and responsible, and capable. We are gifted by God—some even supernaturally gifted—to serve the Body of Christ. These virtues and gifts, in and of themselves, are not despicable. But they become despicable when we redirect their glory, that is, the glory they generate by their faithful application, [when we redirect this glory] away from God and towards ourselves.
All of the saints were praiseworthy, brethren. They were incredible people. Today we commemorate two of the most incredible. But bear in mind, these are the same men, one of which said, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Tim 1:15), and he meant it! I will leave you with two quotes from the Fathers in closing:
(From St. Basil the Great): “Extirpate two thoughts within thyself: do not consider yourself worthy of anything great, and do not think that any other man is much lower than you in worthiness. Learn humility beforehand, which the Lord commanded in word and showed forth in deed.”
(And from St. John of Kronstadt): “When anyone out of kindness praises you to others, and they pass on these praises to you, do not consider them as a just tribute of esteem really due you, but ascribe them solely to the kindness of heart of the person who spoke of you in this way, … [and] acknowledge yourself to be the greatest of sinners, not just out of humility, but truthfully, actually, knowing as you do your [own] evil deeds.”
May the courageous example of the saints elevate our minds to the heavenly places; and may their profound humility keep us grounded.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, especially the Leaders of the Apostles, Ss Peter and Paul, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!